however, i appreciate your non slanderous response. timo could learn a thing or two from you
Well, KG Meyer, I must say that when I was first on the Forums I had an argument or two with Timo. But that passed and I quickly recognized him as an incredible resource and repository of knowledge in his field. I am proud to have him as a friend and co-worker. Trust me that Timo is always straight-forward and always helpful when you need help.
i tend to disagree that Ukrainians (who are not Asians) to Siberians (Who may or may not be Asians, Cossacks, Georgians, Tatars, Turkomens, Lativans, etc. loved mother russia. in fact, the fall of the soviet union contradicts this.. just look at the video of these people spiting upon statues and swearing never to speak the russian language that was forced upon them.
Ah, there is much truth to this. But, one has to ask if these feelings existed back in 1940. Obviously to a certain degree they did--after all, the Communist Party had won an incredibly vicous civil war and inherited the empire built by the Czars. Like the Czars, they held it together by force and politics. But there were a number of nationalist groups and anti-communist groups that welcomed the German invasion and collaborated with them.
The truth about how much the response of the population of the Soviet State to the Nazi invasion was dictated by Patriotism, as opposed to fear, may never be known. Totalitarian states have a great deal of coercive force behind them. No citizen wants to be targeted by a State that can destroy not only himself but his family. In this regard, I believe the Nazis and the Soviets used the same pressures on their people.
But, aside from execution and imprisonment, a totalitarian state has another great device for making its people adhere to the program. That device was propaganda and the Soviets were masters of it.
Remember that Stalin's appeal to nationalism and plea for the defense of "Mother Russia" were echoed by countless newspapers, countless radio speeches and countless political operatives on every level, down to the individual village.
Clearly, this appeal was attractive to large portions of the population of the Soviet Union. The Communist Party was a strong one with roots in all strata of society. And, it is always in a popular thought that "better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know" and "my country, right or wrong".
Furthermore, if you follow the course of the war, you will find stubborn, fanatical resistance by ordinary soldiers throughout. That is why I am skeptical of the image of Soviet Soldiers going into battle only out of fear of the NKVD behind the line. Soldiers have one great advantage over a civilian population, they are armed. Czarist Russia, (which was never accused either of being afraid to execute or imprison dissidents) disintegrated under mutinies within its armed forces. This never happened with the Soviet Union, even when it seemed that the War was lost.
So, if anyone asks me, I would have to say that the Soviet performance in the war depended very, very much on the patriotism and devotion of the average "Ivan".
Best Regards, David
Death is lighter than a Feather, Duty is heavier than a Mountain....
